Timbers sign technical director Ned Grabavoy to contract extension

The Portland Timbers announced today that technical director Ned Grabavoy has signed a multi-year contract extension with the club. Grabavoy has been in his current role since December 2018.

The journeyman midfielder was signed as Portland’s first free agent prior to the 2016 season, his final club in his 13-year MLS career. After retiring in 2017, Grabavoy joined Portland’s technical staff as director of scouting and recruitment, and after a year was promoted to his current role as technical director.

As technical director, Grabavoy primarily works in tandem with general manager Gavin Wilkinson around roster management and construction. According to the club, Grabavoy’s main duties center around player scouting, recruitment, and potential player acquisitions for the Timbers.

Under Grabavoy’s tenure, the Timbers have made such high-profile acquisitions as Brian Fernandez, Felipe Mora, Jaroslaw Niezgoda, and most recently, Santiago Moreno.

The news of Grabavoy’s new deal comes at a time when a few MLS teams are in the market for new general managers, with San Jose and Cincinnati being the most prominent names at the moment. It is unknown at this time if any club had been or is eyeing Grabavoy as a potential hire, but if they are, the potential price tag for prying away Portland’s technical director just got a bit higher.

You can read the team’s full press release here.